The instant invention relates generally to transporters for crop harvesting implements, and more particularly to apparatus for locking a ramp in a raised position in such a transporter when moving the empty transporter.
Generally, harvesting equipment, particularly hay harvesting equipment, has been designed and manufactured with a transverse width that would permit transport thereof over the highway and through farm gates. Although the hay harvesting machines commonly referred to as pivot tongue windrowers, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,946, granted in 1978 to Philip J. Ehrhart, were generally wider in a transverse direction than previous pull-type hay harvesting machines, the centrally mounted pivoted drawbar permitted towing of the harvester directly behind the tractor in a centrally located position and, therefore, transport of the harvester in a normal operational orientation was possible.
Increasing transverse widths of such harvesting machines, however, prevents harvesters from being towed over the highway and through restrictive openings behind the tractor in a normal orientation, necessitating the provision of alternative means of transport. Two methods of transporting such implements in a transverse orientation are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,962,853 and 3,721,461. Such apparatus requires a movement of wheels, hitches, jacks, etc. to equip the harvester for movement in a transverse direction, including the disconnection and reconnection of appropriate hitches to the tractor.
The development of the pivot tongue harvester with a laterally extendible drawbar, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,560, permits the harvester to be mounted on a transporter and transported in a lateral orientation by utilizing the drawbar of the harvester as the hitch connection to the tractor. Such a transporter utilizes transversely extending load ramps to permit the harvester to be elevated from the ground onto the transporter. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,996, granted to Earl E. Koch in 1986, discloses a transporter developed for carrying an implement of the type including a pivot tongue arched over the crop cutterhead of the implement and pivoted at is rear end to a location midway between the opposing side ends of the wheel-supported frame from which the Cutterhead, or header, is suspended. The transporter does not include a lock for the ramps that is similar to that of the instant invention. Instead, a jack is used to raise the ramps, and the lower end of the ramp is the locked in a pivoted position.
Another example of a transporter is U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,829, issued to Walters et al. in 1999. The transporter shown in the ""829 patent, while very similar to the Koch patent mentioned above, differs, inter alia, in the way in which the ramps are locked in the raised position. Each ramp, at the upper end thereof has a hole that aligns with a similar hole in a web on the frame. A pin is manually inserted through these holes to secure the ramps in position. This system, while quite simple, is not automatic and requires two people to secure the ramps.
It would be desirable and beneficial to provide an apparatus for securing the ramps in the raised position that requires only one person and minimal force.
It is an object of this invention to provide an implement transporter that employs a simple latch and over-the-center mechanism to automatically secure the ramps in the raised position.
It is another object of this invention to provide an over-the-center latch mechanism, selectively biased between locked and unlocked positions by the operator.
It is a broad object of this invention to provide an improved implement transporter of the type described herein that is reliable and stable in design, simple in construction, and automatic in some operations.
It is a feature of this invention to provide apparatus for selectively securing the ramps of an implement transporter that does not rely upon complex or expensive to produce components.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a lateral transporter for carrying a harvesting machine in a transverse orientation that is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, low in maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use.
These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing an implement transporter having an over-the-center latching mechanism that is selectively biased between locked and unlocked positions by the mere movement of a selection arm. Before moving the empty transporter, the latching mechanism is selectively biased in the locking position so that the ramps lock in place when the operator raises them from the light side, the ground-engaging end. To lower the ramps, the latching mechanism is selectively biased to the unlocked position. The weight of the ramp keeps the latch in place until the operator raises the far end of the ramp slightly, taking the load off the latch. The, the latch is pulled away from the ramp by the over-the-center mechanism and the ramp can be lowered to engage the ground.